Technology
You understand technology and electronics, like computers, machines, and similar complicated devices. Use Computers Most normal computer operations (using software, getting your e-mail) don't require a Technology check and can be done untrained. However, searching an unfamiliar network for a particular file, writing programs, altering existing programs to perform differently, and breaking computer security all require skill checks (and training). Craft You can build electronic items or mechanical items. To craft effectively, you must have an appropriate set of tools. The difficulty and time required to make a particular item depends on its complexity. If your campaign uses the optional rules for Wealth and Purchasing Equipment, you will have to make a Wealth Check with a Difficulty Class 10 less than the Craft DC to acquire the necessary materials . If your Technology check succeeds, you have made the item. If the Technology check fails, you did not produce a usable end result, and any materials are wasted. Repairing Items You can use the Technology skills to repair damaged electronic or mechanical items. The GM sets the DC. In general, simple repairs have a DC of 10 to 15 and require no more than a few minutes. More complex repair work has a DC of 20 or higher and can require an hour or more. Jury-Rigging You can also attempt jury-rigged, or temporary, repairs. Doing this reduces the DC by 5 from that of a regular repair, and allows you to make the check for two actions. However, a jury-rigged repair can only fix a single problem, and the repair only lasts until the end of the current encounter. The jury-rigged item must be fully repaired after, and cannot be jury-rigged again until it is fully repaired. You can also use jury-rigging to hot-wire a car or jump-start an engine or electronic device. The DC for this is at least 15, and can be higher depending on the presence of security devices. Demolitions Creating the explosive itself is a Science check, but it requires a Technology check to prepare it for actual detonation. Setting a simple explosive to blow up at a certain spot doesn't require a check, but connecting and setting a detonator does. Also, placing an explosive for maximum effect against a structure calls for a check, as does disarming an explosive device. Most explosives require a detonator to go off (which requires a Technology check DC 10 to attach)). Failure means the explosive fails to go off as planned. Failure by 10 or more means the explosive goes off as the detonator is being installed. You can make an explosive more difficult to disarm. To do so, choose the disarm DC before making your check to set the detonator (it must be higher than 10). Your DC to set the detonator is equal to the disarm DC. Disarming an explosive requires a Technology check. The DC is usually 10, unless the person who set the detonator chose a higher disarm DC. If you fail the check, you do not disarm the explosive. If you fail by 5 or more, the explosive goes off. Setting or disarming a detonator is two actions. Carefully placing an explosive against a fixed structure can maximize the damage by exploiting vulnerabilities in the construction. This requires at least a minute and a Technology check. The GM makes the check (so you don't know exactly how well you have done until the explosive goes off). On a result of 15 or higher, the explosive deals +5 damage to the structure. On a result of 25 or higher, it deals +10 damage. In all cases, it deals normal damage to all other targets within its blast radius. Knowledge Make a Technology check to answer a question about electronic or mechanical devices. The DC is 10 for easy questions, 15 for basic questions, and 20 to 30 for difficult questions. The GM may make a Technology roll for you, so you don't know whether or not your information is accurate. Action Technology requires at least two actions action to work a computer. The GM may determine some tasks require several rounds, a few minutes, or longer, as described above. The time to make something varies according on its complexity. The Gamemaster may increase or decrease the time for a particular project as necessary. You can cut the time for making or repairing an item in half by taking 2 penalties (see Challenges, below). Knowledge can be a reaction, but otherwise requires two actions. Try Again So long as you have access to the system, you can (in theory) try Technology checks for computers again indefinitely. However, many systems defend against repeated intrusions by increasing security. Your GM may increase the penalty from security modifiers to represent this. For crafting, you may try again, although it may require new materials. For Knowledge, you cannot retry a Science check. The check represents what a character knows, and thinking about a topic a second time doesn't let you know something you didn't know before. The GM may allow another Science check if a character gets access to a better source of information. For example, a character who doesn't know the answer to a particular question off-hand might get another check with access to a library or online database (and could take 10 on that check, depending on the circumstances). Extended The GM might simulate long and involved programming or hacks for an extended period of time with an extended Technology check. Normal use of Technology to craft something resembles an extended check in many ways. If you want, you can replace the standard craft rules with an extended check. In this case, a single failed check doesn't ruin the project; instead, rolling three failures before achieving the requisite number of successes does. Special You can take 10 when using the Technology skill to work with computers. You can take 20 in some cases, but not those involving a penalty for failure. (You cannot take 20 to defeat computer security or defend security, for example.) You can take 10 when using Technology to craft something, but can't take 20 since doing so represents multiple attempts, and you use up raw materials with each attempt. You can take 10 or 20 on repair checks. If you don't have the proper tools, you take 2 penalties on Technology checks to craft something. You can take 10 when making an Technology check for Knowledge. You can take 20 on Knowledge with rigorous research and access to the materials and time necessary to search out information in such a manner. Challenges The following Challenge appropriate for Technology checks: * Fast Work: You may add 2 or 3 penalties to your Technology check to craft something. This increase allows you to make the item faster than usual, reducing the time to half or one-quarter normal, respectively. Category:Rulebook Category:Characters Category:Skills Category:Intelligence